Summary
UPDATE: Zachary Levi made a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter) clarifying his position on the SAG-AFTRA strike, saying “It’s come to my attention that an offhand remark I made in jest last weekend is being taken out of context. So let me be very clear. I fully support my union, the WGA, and the strike. I remain an outspoken critic of the exploitative system that us artists are subject to work in since I started my journey in this business 25 years ago. This strike is necessary to protect ourselves, our writers, and all those working in production who make the industry move.”
Levi also noted in his statement, “we also cannot forget our fans during this strike. Fans that spend their money and energy traveling far distances to talk with us about our work that means so much to them, we should be able to engage. Our business exists and succeeds because of the fans, and I think it’s imperative we appreciate them for their support of our careers.”
Original story follows.
Shazam!actorZachary Levi has voiced his frustrations surrounding the ongoing strike action being undertaken by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, of which he is a member. The star is one of the few individuals with open criticisms about the terms of the strike action.
Starting withShazam!In 2019 and following up with 2023’sShazam! Fury of the Gods,the DCEU’sShazamfranchise followed the adventures of Billy Batson, a young boy living in a foster home and searching for his birth mother, who then finds his life changed when an ancient wizard grants him the power of six gods, with the trigger word Shazam transforming Billy from a scrawny kid into a tall, handsome and powerful Grecian god, an alternate form humbly portrayed in the film by Levi. Unfortunately, the latest film was not as successful as the first, withShazam! Fury of the Gods' box office turning out worse than expected.
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Despite theShazam 2’s poor performance spelling as a bad omenfor other DC projects, Levi’s reputation and goodwill among his admirers suffered little, and he was invited to speak about his many roles at a recent fan event, where the planned speech would take on a different form (viaMovie Maniacs). Levi couldn’t discuss his previous or current work as part of compliance with the rules guiding the SAG-AFTRA union’s strike action, which prohibits guild members from promoting their projects (extending to the mention of past projects that listeners could support by streaming). Instead, Levi criticized the rules and gave a roundabout shout-out to some of his most popular work.
“I’m not allowed to talk about… This is so dumb. I’m not allowed to talk about my previous work,” Levi said during the fan event. “I’m not allowed to talk about movies that I may be a superhero in. I’m not allowed to talk about TV shows that I may have been a nerd who worked at a Best Buy. I’m not allowed to talk about any animated Princess movies that I was fantastic in as the best Prince ever. I’m not allowed to talk about those things.” Levi joinsfellow DC actor Stephen Amell, the Arrowverse actor who came out against the actor’s strike recently to much online discourse.
While it was likely that others would also disagree with the strike action, which passed with a 98% vote, few might have expected the criticism from the generally mild-manneredShazamactor. With Levi only recentlybreaking his silence on the negativeShazam 2reviews, he’s certainly not known for being quick to speak on things one way or another. While his opinion as a union member is worth considering, this hasn’t stopped some on the internet from taking them out of context and blowing them out of proportion.
The Guild’s action has had its fair share of unwarranted negative attention, with stars likeLord of the Ringsactor Andy Serkis dealing with trollsmocking the strikes. Regardless of Levi’s more genuine and understandable feelings towards methods of the strike, there is merit to many of the goals the union is gunning for, as the industry is in a tight spot that can’t be maneuvered out of without the help and amicable treatment of actors, writers, and others.
Shazam!andShazam! Fury of the Godsare now available for streaming on Max.
